


Aftermath - Mark is there for Julian

by AlaskaExists



Series: Dark Artifices 2.1 [5]
Category: The Dark Artifices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Love, Brotherly feels, Brothers help brothers, Dark Artifices 2.1, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Grief, Julian and Mark, Julian and Mark Brotherly love and comfort, Platonic Relationships, Post-Book Series: The Dark Artifices, boys crying, somewhat continued from Part 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2019-01-23 20:47:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12516228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlaskaExists/pseuds/AlaskaExists
Summary: Julian has completely shut down but is still covered in blood from the recent event. Mark has to step in and help Emma get him to a private room where he can help Julian wash up and change out of his clothes. Brotherly Feels





	Aftermath - Mark is there for Julian

**Author's Note:**

> Connects loosely to Part 4 (Julian) of Dark Artifices 2.1 series.

     Mark and Emma had a half-conscious Julian slung between them, one of his arms held over their shoulders as they supported his weight. They were practically dragging him down the hall as he stumbled along with them. Neither of them could carry his full weight, and they didn’t trust anyone around him but themselves. Mark had left Ty in the infirmary in Helen and Kit’s care to check on his brother. He found Julian pale and still in Emma’s lap, in nearly the same place he had left them. 

    Emma was leaning over him, glaring at anyone who dared ask to help him to the infirmary. Mark saw Emma’s eyes light with relief when she saw him, and he understood. Their circle of trust was small and getting smaller. Only Blackthorns and honorary Blackthorns could be trusted. Let no one else in, do not accept outside help. The secrets and lies felt like tiny weights in his brain. His faerie blood, in constant war with his Shadowhunter blood, wanting to force the words from his throat. 

    He swallowed hard and made his way over to Emma. Together they roused Julian enough to get him to stand and ended up with him lolling between them as they tried to get him to a private room in that Gard. Jia gave them directions to an empty room that Mark nodded to, though he was hardly sure what was said. Luckily the hallways were empty; everyone had run toward the chaos and were tangled up in dealing with the aftermath. 

    Julian’s head began to loll towards Mark, and he tightened his arm around his waist, murmuring to his brother to hold on just a bit longer. Mark didn’t want to admit how much seeing Julian like this was scaring him. Since he had been back from Faerie, he had only seen Julian in control. The parent with all the answers, the big brother there to make everything better. He couldn’t imagine how much pressure Julian was under. He handled it so well. Much better than Mark thought he would have handled things. Even the thought of taking care of his younger siblings on his own sent chills through him, but Julian was always so strong. Always able to figure out how to make things better. Mark felt guilty and childish that he wished for that now. For Julian to magically make everything right, for Julian to comfort him. 

    Mark shook his head, pushing the thoughts away, willing his body to stop shaking and readjusted his grip on his younger brother, who was mumbling something as he stumbled forward. “Mark, I think we can use the room up here. On the right,” Emma’s voice was strained, and he could hear her panting breaths. He didn’t know how long they had been walking, probably only about 10 minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Julian wasn’t light and supporting him was taking its toll on both Mark and Emma. 

    Mark huffed out his agreement, and they managed to push their way into a small guest room, nearly dropping Julian in the process. Emma helped lay Julian down on the floor and then did a quick search of the chamber, making sure nothing was waiting for them, and no one would be coming in. He wasn’t sure if this was the room Jia had mentioned, but he didn’t care as long as it offered some privacy. 

    “Can you…um…Can you help clean him up?” Emma stammered out, unable to look at Mark and Julian on the floor. 

    For a moment, Mark didn’t know what Emma was talking about, but then he looked at his brother. Closely looked at him for the first time. He was covered in blood. His clothes from his chest down were dark with the drying liquid. Dark red coated his arms and hands, splashes of the sickening color on his face and in his hair.

    “I…” Mark started, his voice coming out rough. He cleared his throat and then started again, “I guess I can…I mean, yes. I think he needs to be a bit more awake though.” 

    Emma nodded, though she still couldn’t seem to look at either Julian or Mark. “There are towels in the bathroom, and the shower seems to work.”

    Mark began to respond but was interrupted as Julian slowly began to prop himself up. His eyes looked clearer, a little more focused. Mark stayed quiet as Julian held his temple with one hand, applying pressure. Thankfully, he didn’t seem aware of the blood on his hands, and Mark didn’t want to mention it afraid  to push him too far. 

    “Jules…?” Mark spoke quietly, giving Julian time to adjust. 

    His brother removed his hand from his forehead and blinked a few times until his eyes focused on Mark. 

    “Mark?” Julian’s voice sounded strange. Strained from crying and yelling, but something more than that. Mark felt like something was missing in it and the thought sent a bolt of fear down his spine. He straightened and did his best to seem unfazed. 

    “Yes,” Mark replied. “How are you feeling?”

    Julian stared blankly for a few moments, and Mark thought maybe he would be able to get Julian cleaned up and into bed without his brother having to relive the horrible moment. Perhaps his mind would stay in self-defense mode for just long enough to get them through this time. However, neither of them had such luck. Mark saw the moment that reality crashed back down on Julian. His vacant eyes were going wide with agony, the pupil stealing away the sea green color as realization washed over him. 

    Julian started shaking, and Mark felt his own body trembling. “Julian…” Mark began, but he didn’t know what to say.

    Emma stepped over to the brothers then, putting her hands on Julian’s shoulder and making him meet her eyes. “Jules, Mark is going to help you get cleaned up okay? I’ll get you some clothes and check on everyone. Just stay with us, okay? Answer me, Jules.” 

    Mark could see Julian’s jaw working as he forced out the word, “okay.” 

    Emma nodded and then turned back to Mark, a detached determination filling her face. “Take care of him,” Emma said, her voice hard. 

    “The others are in the infirmary.” 

    “Find Tiberius. Tell him I’ll be with him soon. Tell them all.” Julian’s voice startled both of them, though it was barely more than a whisper. He looked more like himself, and the change was startling, though he was still in no position to find his siblings. Mark couldn’t place the look on Emma’s face as she stared at Julian, something like wonder and relief and something unspoken. Emma’s jaw set into its usual defiant position as she nodded to Julian and dashed from the room.  It was so routine that Mark found himself stunned, but Julian seemed to have found his strength. 

    Julian pulled himself from the floor and slowly stood, holding onto the bed to gain his balance. Mark shot up to help Julian, pushing his feelings down as much as he could. He had to be strong for Jules right now, but he couldn’t completely stop the trembling that sifted through his muscles. He helped Julian to the bathroom and activated the witchlight. The white glow filled the room, casting harsh shadows and causing both boys to squint. Mark hastily dimmed the light with a few touches, leaving just enough light to illuminate the small space. 

    The light bounced over Julian’s face, and Mark was struck by how young Julian seemed. Since coming back from Faerie, he had to adjust to his siblings being significantly older than when he left them. It was a constant shock for him to see how much the twins had grown, how Dru how matured, how Tavvy wasn’t a baby anymore, but Julian had been different.

     Instead of finding his brother as the child he left him as, he found him as a man. Someone who seemed much more adult than Mark himself felt, and he realized that he still saw Julian that way. No longer a child like his siblings, possessing a maturity that went far beyond his age. Mark still believed that of his younger brother. Even now, when Julian looked so young, standing frozen in the tiny space, his eyes sad and vacant, his body hanging defeated. Mark was struck by the fact that Julian was the same age now as he had been when he had been taken by the Wild Hunt. He looked so small and vulnerable, Mark wanted to wrap his arms around him, hold him and tell him it would be alright, but they had other issues to deal with first. 

    “Jules,” Mark started, keeping his voice low. “We need to get you cleaned up. I’m going to undress you, okay?” 

    Julian’s eyes scanned Mark’s face as he nodded slightly. Mark reached out slowly to touch his brother’s shoulder afraid that any movement would startle him. Julian didn’t flinch away from Mark’s touch, which Mark took as a promising sign, and began to slide off Julian’s jacket. The jacket fell to the floor quickly, but getting Julian’s shirt off was going to be more difficult. Julian was practically catatonic, and the blood had matted his clothes to his skin. Mark tried not to think of the blood as Livvy’s. Instead, he recalled his times in the Wild Hunt with Kieran. Often they had stripped blood-soaked clothes off each other, before helping the other wash away the grime of a hunt. He told himself this was just another one of those times, as he pulled at Julian’s shirt, lifting it over his head. 

    The shirt stuck to his skin and he could feel the pull as the bloated fabric tried to sink back down. The sensation seemed to wake Julian; his eyes went wide as Mark hastily pulled the cloth over his brother’s head. Julian seemed to pale even more, his face taking on a sickly tinge, as he pushed Mark aside and fell to his knees in front of the toilet, retching. For a stunned second, Mark could only watch, but quickly focused himself and knelt down next to his brother. 

    Julian was shaking so hard that he could barely hold himself over the toilet. Mark put his hand on his brother’s back, rubbing circles against his skin, before sliding himself closer so he could support most of his brother’s weight. Tears stung his eyes, and he could feel them slide silently down his face, but he paid them no mind. Right now his focus was on Julian, who continued to heave even after his stomach was empty. Mark tried his best to comfort his brother, but there wasn’t much he could do besides support him and wait. Eventually, Julian’s heaving stopped, and he entirely collapsed, exhausted, against Mark. Julian’s whole body was racked with tremors and sweat dotted his overheated skin. 

    Taking a deep breath, Mark reached for a towel and gently removed himself from Jules, creating a pillow for his brother and placing it under his head. Despite Julian’s exhaustion, he still had to get him clean and into fresh clothes. Mark turned on the shower and finished undressing Julian as the water warmed up, filling the space with steam. He roused his brother enough to get him to step into the water, where he immediately sat down and curled up, small and defeated. Mark steeled himself as he stepped into the water fully clothed and knelt down next to his younger brother, beginning to wash the traces of blood off his skin. The water ran red next to him, and he kept Julian looking up or away, so he wouldn’t have to see. Mark worked on autopilot, his time in the Wild Hunt making him accustomed to washing another, and scrubbed Julian’s skin and thoroughly rinsed his hair until all traces of blood was gone. 

    During the process, Julian had closed his eyes and varied between leaning against the wall or Mark’s chest, letting his brother maneuver him however necessary. By the time Mark was finished his clothes were soaked through and heavy, weighing down his already exhausted limbs. The warm water and the calming motions of washing had drained the adrenaline-fueled energy from his body, and he felt like he could curl up in the bathtub and sleep. Julian’s eyes were open but heavy-lidded, and Mark rallied his strength, wrapping his brother in a towel and helping him stand before practically lifting him over the rim of the tub. 

    Clothes for both of them were sitting just inside the door, and Mark gratefully grabbed them, changing his clothes quickly as Julian leaned against the sink. Mark dressed Julian like he had done when they were both much smaller and then led the vacant boy out of the bathroom and over to the bed. Julian collapsed on top of the covers and Mark fussed with adjusting him and pulling blankets over him until he was satisfied that his brother was as comfortable as he could make him. _I should check on the others_ , Mark thought wearily. He needed to find out what had happened to Kieran too, but his thoughts seem to drift away like aimless clouds. Everything felt fuzzy, and his body was overly warm and tired. He found himself climbing into the bed next to Julian without conscious thought. The moment he laid down, sleep pulled him down like an anchor. _I’ll just relax for a little bit_. Unable to fight any longer, Mark let himself rest. 

 


End file.
